Sammy and Casey's friendship officially started when Sammy took that first step in thanking Casey after the softball championship. It was that moment when Sammy stop comparing Casey to Heather and saw him for who he is.

A/N: Hiya! It has been a long time since I logged on. Or written any sort of FanFiction, especially for the Sammy community. Now, I am not going to make any promises, but I might try working on my old stories from way back in 2009-2010. We'll see. story at, this sort popped into my head after re-reading the Search for Snake Eyes when Sammy talked about her first step she had to take with Casey. Enjoy!

The First Step

"Hey Sammy, where are you going?" Marissa hollered after me. It was two weeks after the softball game, two weeks since Pepe had been reunited with his mom.

Two very long weeks of procrastination.

"I need to do something, okay?" I shouted back. I didn't have time to explain, let alone hear Marissa go boy crazy on me.

Saying thank you shouldn't be this hard, should it?

I had spent the better part of the past two weeks talking with Officer Borsch about Pepe and gangs and the Edge of the World all over again. I helped Hudson out with his backyard and Grams with chores, conveniently right after school to avoid the conversation I was now racing to have.

And it was about time, too.

Why had I put it off for so long?

Oh, right. That's why.

I had bolted out the front doors to the school, just in time to see Heather stalking away from her brother, Casey, the one guy I owned a whole lot to, forgetting the part where he still has my skateboard.

I stand still for a moment, remembering why I had to do this. Just because his Heather's brother doesn't make him Heather. He still helped me and my friends out.

I can do this.

I slowly go down the steps, watching Casey pace and look after where Heather took off to.

Maybe this wasn't the best time. It looked like a lot was going on and now was a great time to bolt, he hasn't seen me yet which is golden and shoot!

Casey turned back towards the building and looked right where I was standing.

"Hey Sammy! What's up?" He walked towards me, smiling.

"Hey. Is everything alright? I saw you and Heather out here."

"Oh typical Heather stuff. You know how it can be. What about you? I never see you out here for the buses."

"Uh, actually, I wanted to thank you," I blushed and looked down at my hands.

"For what exactly?" I could hear the smile in Casey's voice, making me look up.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Yes. There are a lot of things you could be thanking me for, Sammy," Casey said with a laugh.

"Really? I can only think of one, having to do with the softball game..."

"That you never played in?" Casey reminded me, confusion tainting his voice.

"Yeah...that's a long story," I said sheepishly.

"It always is with you, isn't it?" Casey laughs again, "I like that about you, Sammy. So why do you need to thank me for that?"

"You helped prove me and my friends innocence. That took a lot, so, yeah, thanks," I manage to rush out while not looking at Casey again.

"Oh, that, no problem. And while there's thanks going around, I should thank you," Casey says quietly. My head snaps up to look at him.

"Why?"

"For helping me figure out the type of people my old friends really were. I forgot what it was like to have real friends, and ya know, normal friends," Casey said with a shrug.

"I didn't really help with that."

"You did when you helped bust that meth lab. I never would've imagined them being caught up in stuff like that. It was so messed up," Casey sighed and then smiled back at me, "So I guess we're even then. But why did it take you till noe to come talk me?"

"That's part of the long story," I smiled back at him.

"Someday you'll have to tell me about those complicated stories of your's, especially if they wind up like the one with the pig," Casey laughed, "but for now, thanks for your thanks! I need to catch the bus now."

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you around," I laugh back and watch Casey run down the steps to the bus, but not before he turns around and waves to me, laughing.

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